Artful Escapes: Orient Express Corinthian

Ever since the Orient Express launched with a glittering inaugural trip from Paris to Vienna in 1883, it’s been the reference for luxury train travel. Now the storied brand has taken to the high seas with the debut of the Orient Express Corinthian, a svelte and chic 721-footlong, three-masted sailing yacht built by one of the world’s great shipyards, Chantiers de l’Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire, France.

For the interiors of the Corinthian, architect Maxime d’Angeac, artistic director of Orient Express, was inspired by the golden age of rail travel and the grandeur of legendary ocean liners, such as the famed SS Normandie, but infused the design with a contemporary sensibility that features the work of the best French artisans. All 54 suites have huge picture windows or terraces, along with high ceilings—a welcome rarity on yachts and cruise ships.

The vessel’s five restaurants are directed by Yannick Alléno, the Michelin multi-star executive chef of both Orient Express Sailing Yachts and L’Orient Express train, which returns in 2027. Also equipped with a 115-seat cabaret, a state-of-the-art recording studio, and two pools, the Corinthian offers Mediterranean itineraries during the summer months and then crosses the Atlantic to serve the Caribbean in the winter.

A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2026 Summer Issue in the section “Artful Escapes.” Subscribe to the magazine.